


Flowers in Your Hair

by ashapoop



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Gen, M/M, One Shot, Victor is the king of the gays, Yuuri is the smol kinda sick bean that's all for it, amen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-10-22 07:07:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10692198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashapoop/pseuds/ashapoop
Summary: Victor Nikiforov has had enough with admiring the man at the flowershop from afar, and one night he marches over to ask him out. He returns with no name, no number, but instead with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. And it goes on like this for a week and a half.ORThe flower shop AU everyone loves feat. Gay as Hell™  Victor Nikiforov





	Flowers in Your Hair

He was beautiful. Every morning he came in with a to go cup of tea, a different flavor for each day of the week, his scarf wrapped up to his nose. Navy blue frames covered his dark eyes and his hair was messy and the color of coal. His hip would always lean on the front counter as he twirled the phone cord around as he wrote down what Victor assumed to be different orders -- the Katsuki Flower Shoppe had been around for years, Yakov had told him. It was how he had first wooed Lilia. 

  


It seemed Victor was looking to follow in his coach’s footsteps. He couldn’t help it, the boy across the street was just too cute for words. He’d find himself spending his breaks on the bench outside the rink, just looking across at the shop. A part of him yearned to walk over there, introduce himself, even buy Yuri some flowers to piss him off, but lunch was incredibly busy. The dark haired boy often had a hand in his hair in between punching away at the cash register. Victor didn’t want to add on to his stress with some stupid flirting. 

  


After a week and Yuri constantly telling him how much of a stalker he was being, Victor decided that after practice he’d stop by the shop. In the early evening, there was hardly anyone over there and it would be the perfect time to introduce himself. The skater found himself checking the clock every couple minutes, enough that Yakov found himself annoyed and let the man go. Victor was humming as he swiftly untied his skates and shoved his feet into his loafers, calling out a too cheerful farewell only to be reciprocated with groans. As the cold air just outside the rink hit him, Victor buttoned his trench coat up and crossed the street, trying to hide the smile on his lips. He was finally going to do it. He was going to meet the man at the flower shop!

  


“I messed up, Makka,” Victor sighed, flopping across the couch as the large poodle jumped up on him, head resting on the man’s chest. “I didn’t even say anything! Not a word! He asked how my day was and I nodded. I nodded! I don’t even know what kind of flowers those are!” 

  


He threw a distressed look towards his kitchen counter where some white flowers with long stems were homed in a glass vase, some suggested plant food at the bottom. He had no idea how much to put in there so he just dumped the packet in completely. Closing his eyes then, Victor exhaled slowly as he ran his hands through the dog’s curled fur, slows breaths helping calm his racing heart. 

  


“I’ll talk to him tomorrow after practice. Promise.” 

  


***

  


And he didn’t. 

  


Victor cursed himself as he walked out of the flower shop that evening, a bouquet of daisies in his hand. Neither man had introduced themselves yet but the man behind the counter did give a bit of a smile when Victor returned. At the register, Victor had opened his mouth three times to ask him something, anything, but came up short. 

  


“The weather,” he muttered as he crossed the street, digging for his keys. “How business is going. His name!” 

  


He hesitated as he entered the apartment, wondering where to put this new bunch of flowers as he dug in his cabinet for another vase. He only had one left… he’d have to do it tomorrow. If not, the poor flowers would die. How could he tell the man at the shop he let them die if he didn’t speak up tomorrow? What Victor wanted between them would be done before it even began if it came to that! Placing the vase on the living room coffee table, he inhaled the fresh scent and let out a little breath before looking at the poodle tapping it’s paws by the front door. 

  


“Tomorrow,” Victor promised as he grabbed the leash. “I have to.” 

  


***

  


Victor should have known that to actually introduce himself to the man across the street, he’d need to build up his nerve. It was naive to think that he could just stroll on in and introduce himself, sweeping the dark haired man off his feet before they ran together into the sunset. No, he needed to think about what he was going to say and do it. Which is what he told himself every day for the next four days. At this point, his apartment was starting to look like the flower shop, three bouquets finding their homes in skating trophies on the mantle and in his bedroom. Victor almost found himself, the first day he ran out of vases, hesitating to dump the first bouquet he had bought. Guilt filled every part of his body as he picked up the first bunch of flowers and his brows furrowed, mouth screwing up as he tried to will himself to throw them in the trash. 

  


_They’re just flowers!_ He thought to himself, shaking his head. He was acting ridiculously. _He wouldn’t even know if I threw them away! Just do it!_

  


Yet when Victor left those few days later, every bouquet purchased that week was still safe in place. As he left his apartment for practice that morning, he opened his mouth to promise Makkachin he’d talk to the boy across the street but those dark eyes only told him what he already knew. Not likely. His skating was off that day as he was beginning to lose hope in his flirting skills and his bank account, telling Yakov that he’d stay later to work on ending his routine with the quad loop, a feat he knew he’d need for this season. As the sun fell in the sky, Victor found himself working until he hit the ice too many times -- even though he was determined, he was smart enough to know when to stop to avoid his coach’s future scolding. Packing up, he slid his wallet into his coat before exiting the rink, locking up behind him, and strolling across the street. 

  


_Maybe I’ll get roses tonight._

  


As he crossed the street, though, he couldn’t help but notice that all the lights were off. Eyes jumping to the hours of availability on the door, he checked his phone. They closed twenty minutes ago. The silver haired man couldn’t hold back his groan, letting his forehead rest on the door for a few moments until he was interrupted by a cough. Victor spun around then, locking eyes with the man from the shop, a small smile crawling its way onto his face. 

  


“I was wondering why you didn’t stop by tonight,” the dark haired man said into the silence, letting an awkward chuckle pass his lips.

“Late practice,” Victor replied breathlessly, unable to tear his eyes away. 

  


He didn’t even want to blink. 

  


“Did you… want some flowers? We can go in there real quick, you must really like them.”

“No! No, no, that’s fine. You’ve already closed up. It’s alright, I’ll just get some… tomorrow.”

“It’s not a problem at all, err… after almost a week I haven’t caught your name.” 

  


Victor’s heart was singing and his small smile bloomed into a grin as he watched the man in front of him. Makkachin would be so proud of him when he got home! The air was chilly and Victor watched the pink blooming across the man’s face as they conversed -- it was absolutely adorable. Letting out a laugh at his statement, he shook his head before cocking his head to get his bangs out of his face. 

  


“I’m Victor. And how about you? You don’t wear a name tag.”

“I’m Yuuri,” he said in a quiet tone, glancing up and around Victor’s face. “Yuuri Katsuki.”

“Nice to meet you, Yuuri!” Victor laughed again before biting his lip, hands balling into fists in his pockets. “Finally.”

“You too, Victor.” 

  


The way he said his name sounded like angels singing. 

  


“I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“See you then. Have a good night.” 

***

  


“Yuuri,” Victor hummed, hardly audible over the sizzle of his sausage links, beaming as Makkachin nuzzled his calf. “Yuuri Katsuki.” 

  


The lean man tossed a sausage to his pup, letting out a soft laugh as Makkachin missed completely and sniffed at the floor before finding the meat. The beautiful boy from the flower shop hadn’t left his mind, even as Victor drifted to sleep the night before. His nerves were buzzing in anticipation for the end of practice, for an actual conversation with Yuuri. After coming home last night a babbling mess, he pulled Makkachin on his chest and told him all about his cute accent, his thick frames, his pinking cheeks. The dog showed his approval as he lapped at his owner’s face happily before the two fell asleep. 

  


“Yuri, you’ll never guess what!” Victor sang as he entered the rink, an arm wrapped around the shorter boy’s.

“Sorry, what made it seemed like I cared?” the boy replied, shoving his arm off without looking away from his phone.

“I talked to the man at the flower shop! You know, the one across the street?”

“I’m pretty sure we all know about that shop and that guy since you haven’t shut up for weeks.”

“Anyways! His name is Yuuri, isn’t that cool? Not like yours, Yuri, but with a different sound to it. Yuuri! Ah, it sounds like a song!”

“And you sound like a fucking idiot.” 

  


Before Victor could get any more praise out, he watched as Yuri stepped onto the ice, pushing off in a seemingly quick effort to get away from his senior. With a sigh, he sat down on the bench to tie his skates on and found the long hours on the ice to be as therapeutic as they once were, his jumps higher and his leg more elongated. His arm would stretch, reaching for something he wasn’t sure was quite there. There was a new breath of life into him, Mila noted as he breezed past her, only bringing a joyous smile from the man. Victor couldn’t help but hear Georgi sigh, murmuring about young love and how it reminded him of… _her_. 

  


“I swear to god, I already had to hear him talking about that fucking flower guy. Over my dead fucking body will you start talking about Anya.”

“Oh, Anya…”

“Georgi!” 

  


Victor couldn’t help but laugh as he watched his rink mates, shaking his head before gaining speed to test his quad loop, landing as smoothly as he could have hoped for. It felt like every moment was building up to what he had been looking forward to for hours now. As Yakov called the end of practice, Victor was easily the first one off the ice, shoving his guards on the skate’s blades and back into his bag before calling out a farewell until the next morning. He didn’t want to miss Yuuri again. Plus, Makkachin seemed a bit upset that he hadn’t come home with another bouquet for him to smell. 

  


The bells chiming above the door were like a song to Victor’s ears as his eyes fell upon the dark messy hair of the man behind the counter. His heart yearned for him to take a few quick steps up to him and talk, but he found himself poking around by the window and gazing at the flowers there, pretending as if he were actually looking for a specific type. Closer to the back he found a very pretty flower with lavender petals, unable to resist the urge to smell them. 

  


“Do you like catmint?” 

  


The Russian jumped at the sudden sound behind him and spun around, face pale, and locked eyes with Yuuri. He had a pink to his cheeks that was an unmistakable blush, his eyes sparkling. The brown of his eyes was something he was unable to describe, a color that transcended beauty, only accented by his sapphire sweater. With a small smile on his lips, Victor took a breath before glancing back at the plant for a moment before looking back to Yuuri. 

  


“It’s very beautiful,” he said, “though I’m surprised. It smells almost lemony?”

“It’s funny, you think they’d smell more floral when they look the way they do.”

“Exactly! Yuuri, you read my mind.” 

  


Victor would take any opportunity to say the boy’s name, he realized, loving how it sounded as it rolled so easily off his tongue. As Yuuri’s blush intensified, he hoped it was because he too liked the sound of it. Without another word from either of them, he spun around and took two bunches of them, wrapped tightly in cellophane, before grinning at his favorite salesman. 

  


“I’ll take two of these! The… catmint!” 

  


The two chatted briefly as they made their way to the counter, exchanging short words of how their days went before Yuuri had rung up his total. Victor pulled his ever ready wallet from his track jacket and slid his credit card across the counter, eyes widening as Yuuri’s fingers brushed his. They were cold and soft, gone as quickly as they were present, causing Victor to frown. He wanted to feel them against his skin again. 

  


“Alright, just sign here, Victor.” 

  


The man felt a sharp twist in his stomach as he looked up at Yuuri upon hearing his name. It sounded so… cute! The small accent cut him deep, making him weak as he struggled to hold onto the pen, only able to scribble the first few letters of his name before sliding it back across the counter. A smile fought its way onto Victor’s lips and he felt his face heat as he glanced back up at Yuuri before taking his bouquets in one arm, raising an arm to wave. 

  


“Goodbye, Yuuri! I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“See you then. Have a good night, Victor!”

“Oh, you too!"

  


***

  


Victor was humming as he entered the shop next day despite his gruelling practice, once again let out early as his head was anywhere but the rink. His eyes fell upon an unmanned counter and he rose a brow before he shrugged -- Yuuri must be doing something in the back. His song continued as he milled about, fingers delicately brushing bright petals until he stopped upon a bundle of lavender roses. He glanced at an attached color chart, decorated with small smiley faces that appeared to be handwritten.

  


_Lavender -- Love at first sight or just an enchanting way to say, "I love you!" Lavender roses can offer a daily reminder of your love and eagerness to grow your relationship._

  


Victor’s heart soared as he read the card, picking up a bouquet without a second thought. It was a brilliant idea, in his mind, to let Yuuri see he’s buying these flowers. It would be the best possible segue into the Russian asking him out to dinner! He glanced back up towards the counter and saw a mess of hair, a smile tugging on his lips as he saw Yuuri had returned. The man practically skipped to the counter, placing the roses down before grabbing at his wallet, glancing up only to have his smile fall. 

  


“Roses, huh? Original. At least they’re lavender.” 

  


The woman behind the counter was anyone but Yuuri, Victor thought sadly. She had a mess of brown and bleach blonde hair pulled back by a headband, her ears lined with shiny piercings and a bored expression. As he took another look, though, he did see a bit of a resemblance to the man he was hoping would be behind the counter. His sister? A cousin, perhaps?

  


“I like the meaning behind them,” he commented as she scanned the small barcode.

“Meaning? Oh… yeah. My brother is a sucker for stuff like that, I guess.”

“How is Yuuri? Usually he’s here…”

“How do you…? Are you Victor?”

“Yes.” 

  


_How would she know his name?_

  


“I should have figured when he said gorgeous daily customer. He even gave me a time estimate. Maybe it’s because you’re early. But he’s out sick tonight.” 

  


Victor’s head was spinning at the new information as he studied her half smile, his own head cocked to the side. It took a long minute for her words to process before his smile returned brilliantly, his cheeks flushed as he bit back a laugh. Not only did Yuuri talk about him at home, but he called him gorgeous? His hands were aching to slap against the counter and he wanted to dance but he would have to wait until he was outside. WIth a buzz now, he quickly pulled out his credit card and offered it forward before she shook her head. 

  


“It’s on me on one condition.” she said.

“What’s that?”

“Ask him out already.” 

  


***

  


“When I come home tonight,” Victor said with a ruffle to his dog’s ears, “I’m going to have a date!”

  


Victor had spent half the night tossing in bed, unable to stop his curious thoughts about what Yuuri had said. Did Yuuri also like Victor? Did Yuuri want him to ask him out? Did he say anything besides calling him gorgeous? When had he said all this? Was he having these same thoughts right now? He woke up more tired than he had been in awhile, the only late nights he seemingly had spent with Christophe Giacometti or his rinkmate Mila, but losing sleep over Yuuri was something he couldn’t be upset about. 

  


As the hours passed, Victor grew more restless, his anticipation launching his jumps higher and with greater accuracy while he had a muse in mind. As Yakov dismissed the skaters for the day, he muttered to Victor that he had a very good night. Victor smiled and quickly thanked his coach before hurrying to get outside, biting his lip as he glanced at the flowershop. His sister had told Victor that Yuri was sick… perhaps he should get him something to help. He ducked into the drugstore on the corner quickly, pacing up and down the aisles as he glanced at the medicine. After a short consideration, Victor realized he had no idea what Yuri was sick with so that would be no good. He instead moved towards the freshly made foods and scooped some soup into a bowl, paying with a smile before heading back to Yuuri’s store. 

  


Victor was met with a bell and an even louder sneeze from behind the counter, a small laugh escaping from the Russian. He walked over quickly to Yuuri with a smile, unable to let out a soft noise when he saw how cute he looked. Not only was he wearing what appeared to be two sweaters, but also a pair of fingerless gloves and a large scarf looped around his neck several times. He was bundled up almost to the point of immobility and the poor thing was still shivering. 

  


“Maybe this will help,” Victor said as he slid the soup across the counter.

“Hi VIctor,” he greeted in a small tone before glancing down at the container with bunched brows. “What’s this? Is this… oh no! You didn’t have to do this!” 

  


Victor couldn’t hold back his laugh as he watched Yuuri fuss over the soup, cheeks flaming pink, before glancing up with an embarrassed expression. 

  


“It’s alright, zvezda moya, I wanted to.”

“What does that mean?”

“Hmm? Oh, nothing. I wasn’t sure what kind you liked so I bought you chicken noodle, I hope that’s alright?”

“It’s perfect! I really appreciate this, how much do I owe you?” 

  


_Now!_ Victor thought to himself. _This is the perfect way to ask him out! It’s not hard at all, this is probably the smoothest you will ever be. Just say it! Just say…_

  


“Nothing. My treat, Yuuri.” 

  


_Dammit._

  


“We can trade flowers for soup, how about that?” 

  


_Or we could trade numbers._

  


“I can’t do that. You keep the soup and I’ll pay for the flowers.” 

  


Before Yuuri could protest further, Victor quickly disappeared behind various displays and walked along the back wall as he heard a sigh of defeat behind him. He decided he needed some blue colors as he had lots of purples, pinks and yellows. He stopped at the corner, crouching down to look at the beautiful, small flowers with the various colored centers. Forget-Me-Nots, he read. Another easy decision, Victor took three bouquets as the petals were all so small and returned to a coughing Yuuri with a half smile on his face. 

  


“Forget-Me-Nots?” Yuuri asked with his own smile before turning away to cough. “Sorry.”

“I think they’re beautiful. And there’s no need to apologize.” 

  


As Victor took out his card to pay, Yuuri stared at it for a long moment before the two met eyes. Victor arched his brow as if a challenge to not let him pay. If he had to, he’d jump behind the counter and do it himself. Yuuri cracked after just a moment, the pink spreaded across his cheeks once again, and he slid the card as Victor took a breath. He wanted nothing more than to be able to go home with him, make him tea and bundle him in a pile of blankets as they watch animated films until Yuuri fell asleep against his chest. It was an image that Victor wanted painted in his memories forever. 

  


“Here you go.” 

  


The quiet voice broke Victor from his daydream as he looked up with a flushed face, feeling as if he had just been caught, before his fingers brushed Yuuri’s once again to take his card back. This time, though, he let them rest against the man’s for a long moment before pulling back, too nervous to look up right away. As he picked up the bouquets in his hand, he smiled brightly to Yuuri, nodding to the soup in a way that said he’d better eat it, earning a nod from the employee. 

  


“Bye, Yuuri! I hope you feel better!” he said as he walked towards the door.

“Victor?” 

  


He stopped short and turned around, seeing the man looking nervous. That was when what his sister said hit him -- he promised he would ask Yuuri on a date. Licking his lips, he was praying that that’s what Yuuri was about to say, he hardly had the nerve to take his own card back. 

  


“Thank you,” Yuuri said after a long moment. “For the soup. I really do appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome, Yuuri.” 

  


As Victor continued to the door, he could have sworn he heard a noise behind him, something like a sigh, but he brushed it off and left quickly. He couldn’t help but felt a pang of disappointment -- he had been so close to finally speaking up and telling Yuuri about his attraction, but for some reason he wasn’t picking up on signals. Maybe he was trying too hard… maybe Yuuri wasn’t attracted to him at all! No matter how Yuuri felt, Victor thought as he unlocked his front door, all the little struggles he went through trying to tell him was worth it when he saw Yuuri’s smile. 

  


***

Incessant scratching at the door was Victor’s alarm the next morning, extracting a groan from the Russian before he got up with a slow stretch before opening the door to his panting poodle. He couldn;t be angry that he was woken up an hour early, not when his pup was so cute. As the two walked to the foyer, he grabbed a plastic bag from the hall closet and let the two of them out to walk around the block. The sun was bright, already having Victor sweating in his thick pants, but it was the least of his worries. Early city mornings were constantly wowing Victor, a smooth calm that really prepared him for the day.  


“Vicchan, get back here!” 

  


Victor looked over his shoulder, seeing a dog running across the street as if it had just gotten off its leash. He looked down the street, seeing the oncoming car, before he shouted a command to Makkachin and ran after the stray dog, scooping him up and quickly getting across the street as the two got honked at. The poodle was small, almost identical to Makka when he first adopted him, and incredibly cute. He heard the owner’s feet pounding the pavement but VIctor found himself too busy tousling the dog’s ears. 

  


“I am so sorry, thank you so much! You have no idea how thankful I-- Victor?” 

  


Victor tore his eyes away from the puppy and saw the familiar face of Yuuri’s sister Mary, a bead of sweat falling from her brow as she stared, surprised. The man laughed, offering the dog to its owner before running a hand through his hair, glancing over to see Makkachin sitting and watching the three.

  


“Good morning, Mari. Is this your dog?”

“Yeah… his name is Vicchan. Well, actually, it’s Victor.”

“That’s a funny coincidence!” Victor said with a laugh, the sound mingling with Mari’s own quiet laughter.

“It really is, huh?”

“I’m sorry, Mari, but I have to get back to my own dog. I’m nervous he’ll try coming over here if I stay much longer.”

“That’s fine. Thanks again, Yuuri would have a heart attack if anything happened to this guy.” 

  


Victor bit his lip as he crossed his arms over his chest, thinking about what Yuuri would be like with his dog. He imagined Yuuri ruffling his ears, playing fetch in a big living room, and curling up with him after a long day at work. He would probably have a bunch of nicknames for him, some that made no sense whatsoever, but he’d laugh as he called for the dog anyway. Only at hearing Mari say something was he able to snap out of his thoughts. 

  


“Sorry, what was that?”

“I was saying we’re heading out so you’d better get back to your own poodle.”

“Right, right. Sorry.”

“And Victor?”

“Hmm?”

“Stop thinking about my brother and just ask him out already.”

  


***

  
When it came time to go to the flower shop that evening, Victor found himself completely lost in his thoughts. A thousand scenarios had crossed Victor’s mind yet he still wasn’t sure what he would exactly say to Yuuri. He could be suave, enticing, shy… but what would be the most natural? He didn’t want to change himself and portray a side of him he’d have to pretend to be later. Still, the thoughts ran wild until there was a tease of a headache just above his left ear.  


His feet moved to their own accord and Victor found himself surprised at the sound of the familiar bell overhead, seeing a small smile on Yuuri’s face as he waved. Victor smiled brilliantly, blindly grabbing the nearest bouquet of flowers and walking over to the counter, leaning on his elbows as he met eyes with Yuuri. The rims of his eyes were pink as if he just had a coughing fit but there was color in his face that wasn’t there previously. It appeared he was feeling better, sending warmth to Victor’s chest. 

  


“Good evening, Yuuri.” he said, tilting his head so his bangs would fall from his eye. “How are you feeling?”

“Hi Victor. I’m feeling… better, I think? The soup definitely helped, thanks again for that.”

“It was all my pleasure.” 

  


The two locked eyes for a long moment before Victor’s eyes dropped at the movement of Yuuri biting his bottom lip. A second later he was looking back at Yuuri’s eyes and saw a light there. He was so beautiful, Victor couldn’t help but think. 

  


“So… tulips today?” he asked.

“Hmm? Oh! Oh, yes. They’re very… pretty.”

“They are. They’ll be eight dollars.”

“Right!” 

  


Victor scrambled, off guard, as he retrieved his wallet from his pocket. He slid his credit card to Yuuri, smiling as he watched the man punch in a few things and swipe the card before printing off his receipt. Victor signed it with a flourish before he watched Yuuri take it back and grab another piece of paper. As Yuuri slid him the other piece of paper, Victor took the bouquet and watched the shorter man for a moment before letting out a breath. He couldn’t do it tonight -- he didn’t have the nerve built up. 

  


“Oh, it’s fine. I don’t need a copy,” Victor said as he noticed Yuuri still holding the paper on the counter.

“I really think you should.” he replied quietly, biting his lip.

“What? Why?” 

  


Victor panicked as Yuuri said this and snatched the paper up easily, scanning the print carefully. Did credit card receipts show balances now? Was Victor even close to having a cautionary balance? The receipt looked the same as every other did, save for his signature at the... bottom? He looked down and saw a scrawl that wasn’t his own, confused for a long moment until he finally read what it said, a name just above a phone number.

  


_Yuuri Katsuski._

  


Glancing back up, Victor saw that Yuuri’s face had flushed to a dark pink as he picked at his sweater’s sleeves. Victor was sure that he looked the exact same, feeling as if his face was on fire, before he folded it up between his fingers with a wide grin. He’d been waiting for something like this for such a long time and now all he wanted to do was yell out. 

  


“I’ll be sure to text you. Have a good night, Yuuri.”

“Y-You too, Victor.” 

  


Practically running down the street as he exited the shop, he let out a loud and happy yell once he rounded the corner, one first pumping into the air. He looked at the receipt once again, eyes scanning the number again and again as he walked home, bottom lip between his teeth as he reminded himself to breathe. As he entered his apartment, Victor crouched down as Makkachin licked his face before shoving the receipt against the dog’s wet nose. 

  


“Look, Makkachin! It finally happened! He gave me his phone number! Isn’t it amaz-- Makka, no! No, you can’t eat it!” 

  


With a laugh, Victor tucked the receipt safely in his pocket before taking Makkachin out to use the bathroom. He came in and heated himself up a dinner, staring at his phone. His thumbs hesitated over the keyboard, Yuuri’s number already typed into the recipient bar, as he wasn’t sure what first impression to give him. 

  


_Hey, Yuuri! It’s Victor from the flower shop!!_

_Hi Yuuri, thank god you gave me your number because my dog is sick of hearing me complain, haha!_

_Katsuki is a very nice last name, but have u ever considered changing it to Nikiforov? Please marry me._

_love you._

  


He was pulled from his thoughts as his microwave beeped and he took out the steaming bowl, practically dropping it on the counter before fishing out a spoon. Taking all his materials to the dining table, he sat down and pulled up Google, asking how to text a crush.

  


“It says here, Makka,” he murmured as he scrolled, “to keep the conversation light. Always begin with open questions. But what qualifies as an open question? Let me look up examples… oh! This one says ‘what were the most important wars fought in the history of the United States?’. I don’t think I should start off with that… maybe later. What if I ask about what it’s like to work at the flower shop? I don’t really know. Or maybe I should just start with hello…” 

  


This continued on for two more hours as Victor milled about, leaving his dish in the sink to wash tomorrow before he went to lay in bed. He must have gone through ten pages on Google looking up how to text crushes, how to not look desperate, how to be yourself over text. As he pulled up a new text message box and typed in a few words, exhaling slowly before deleting them. This was ridiculous… absolutely ridiculous. 

  


_Hey, Yuuri! It’s Victor. Just thought I should text you before bed. Have a good night, see you tomorrow._

  


That would be fine, he thought, before hitting send and letting out a gasp. He had done it… he’d texted Yuuri. As Victor checked that his alarm for tomorrow would in fact still be going off, he rolled over with a smile on his face before his phone vibrated twice. He shot up like a bullet and grabbed his phone quickly, heart pounding as he unlocked the device. 

  


_Good night, Victor. :-)_

  


And he slept with a smile on his face that whole night. 

  


***

 

At the rink that evening, Victor spent a lot of it hunched over his cell phone with his rinkmate Mila. She had been supportive ever since Victor first waltzed in and declared his love for the boy across the street, and she was almost as thrilled as her rinkmate that he had finally gotten Yuuri’s phone number. While the two had only exchanged ‘good morning’ texts, Mila assured Victor that this was a good sign.

  


“It means you were the first thing he thought about when he woke up! So cute!”

“Really? So do you think I should ask him out tonight?”

“Yes! Absolutely yes!” 

His thoughts were jumbled as he tried to think about what to say, how to ask him out, where they would go. Someone like Yuuri deserved a five course meal with the finest steak and wine. What if he was a vegetarian? A vegan? Whatever he was, Victor could handle it. But first, he’d have to actually open his mouth. 

  


As he packed up his bag, he felt a pat on the back and glanced back to see Mila grinning, giving him a thumbs up. Victor could only give her a weak smile in return, too nervous to waste any words on thanking her when they’d be needed to talk to Yuuri. He positioned his bag’s strap comfortably on his shoulder before exiting the building with his head high and shoulders back before quickly crossing the street and entering the shop. 

  


He quickly waved to a smiling and pink cheeked Yuuri before ducking into one of the aisles to catch his breath, scanning the names of the different types of flowers listed below in a handwriting he now recognized. The scents were all so lovely, the colors blending together before his very eyes, before he reached for a bouquet already in a vase. While he had purchased a few vases the week before for his growing collection, he had run out. 

  


“Good evening, Victor,” Yuuri greeted as he walked up to the counter.

“Hello Yuuri, how are you? How’s your day been?”

“It’s been alright, pretty slow. How about yours?”

“Tiring, but very good. Competition season is right around the corner.”

“Oh, that’s exciting.”

“Maybe you can come cheer me on some time.” 

  


Victor felt his skin tingle as that statement slipped from his lips, watching a blush creep up on Yuuri’s skin. Had he really said that out loud? Hopefully he hadn’t scared the man away. It was incredibly forward, suggestive, even. Still, though, Victor couldn’t stop the smile from crawling onto his face as he watched the shorter man take a breath and smile as well. 

  


“Sure. I’d love to.”

“Say… Yuuri?”

“Yes?”

“Would you like to… possibly…”

“Yuuri!” 

  


The two turned to look at who spoke, and Victor rose a brow as he studied the man who had entered the shop. He had dark hair and thick eyebrows, mouth curved into a happy smile, arm over his head as he waved. Glancing back to Yuuri with his brow still arched, he watched as Yuuri, too, smiled and gave the visitor a small wave before the man came over and joined them. 

  


“Hiya!” the stranger introduced, sticking out his hand. “I’m Phichit.”

“Victor.” 

  


He couldn’t help but noticed Phichit wiggling his brows at Yuuri, causing a harrumph from the Japanese man. Victor was confused, wanting to know who this person was and what he was to Yuuri. A friend? A lover? Victor quickly pushed down the part of him that was jealous, simply sliding Yuuri his credit card after he saw Yuuri had punched in his order. 

  


“You ready for trivia?” Phichit asked, tone bright.

“I guess.” Yuuri answered in a mumble.

“Trivia?” Victor asked.

“Down at the pub on Washington, would you like to join us? We have another friend meeting us there after Yuuri closes up.”

“No thank you,” Victor said, glancing over at Yuuri to see if he’d react. He didn’t. “I had a long day at the rink but I appreciate the invitation.”

“Not a problem.”

“Can you sign, Victor?” 

  


Victor turned his attention back to Yuuri and gave him a small smile before signing his name with a flourish, eager to get out of the shop. The two had plans that he didn’t want to intrude on. He picked up the flowers and flashed Yuuri a bigger smile before taking a few steps towards the door, wishing them a good night before ducking out and walking home at a quick pace. Some time with Makkachin would help ease his mind, he thought before bringing the flowers to his nose, inhaling deeply. Beautiful. 

  


As he unlocked his front door, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket and, after quickly placing the flowers down on the nearest surface, he pulled his phone out and quickly unlocked it. 

  


**Yuuri Katsuki:** _Sorry about Phichit… what was it you were going to ask???_

  


With a small smile, Victor read over it a few times before moving his fingers swiftly to type an easy response. 

  


**Victor Nikiforov:** _Not a problem! I’ll tell you tomorrow._

  


***

  
As Victor crossed the street the next night, he was practically radiating confidence. Mila had given him a pep talk on the ice, boosting every part of his ego, with Georgi cheering her on over her shoulder. Yuri watched the display with disgust before telling Victor that if he didn’t ask Yuuri out tonight, he would punch him the next morning. He had felt Yuri’s punches, and wanted to avoid them as often as possible. There was probably still a bruise on his back somewhere from a couple days back…  


The bells that chimed as Victor opened the door sounded like a choir singing as he walked to the counter, smiling easily at Yuuri. He didn’t want to waste any time milling about, looking at the flowers he knew would be in each aisle with the same labels. If he wanted to do this, he would have to do it before all the kind words from the rink faded away. He needed to hear Yuuri say yes to his invitation. 

  


“Good evening, Victor. How was practice?”

“Good evening, Yuuri. It was great! How was trivia?”

“Really? That’s good! Trivia was… alright. Turns out Leo is even worse than I am at trivia.” 

  


Victor laughed at the image of Yuuri sitting in a bar booth, curled over the paper with a screwed up expression on his face as his friends yelled out possible answers. Victor guessed that Yuuri would be the type to double check everything before considering turning in each answer sheet, cursing to himself on the way back to the booth as he realized what the correct answer was. 

  


“That’s funny. I’ve never been too good at trivia either.”

“It’s hard, I pushed away all that knowledge from school and now all I know is flowers, I guess.”

“Oh, Yuuri, I’m sure you have plenty of talents.”

“Sure,” he murmured with a blush on his cheeks before the light in his eyes changed. “You were going to ask something yesterday. What was it?”

“About that… I was wondering if you’d possibly want to… go out sometime? Or even come over for dinner? My friend Chris recently got me into cooking and there are a few meals I can make decently well.” 

  


Victor’s heart was racing, pounding loud enough that he was sure Yuuri could hear from behind the counter. His face was burning, fingers aching to unzip his jacket as he felt beads of sweat forming across his skin. His eyes watched Yuuri like a hawk, taking in every movement of his eyes, the change of color in his cheeks, the wetting of his lips. The seconds that passed caused Victor’s anxiety to heighten as he ran a hand through his hair, holding back the nervous chuckle he wanted to let out. He didn’t want to pressure the man into an answer. As Yuuri’s lips parted, Victor’s eyes closed for just a moment as he silently prayed his answer would be a positive one. 

  


“I’d… I’d love to.” 

  


Just like that, Victor’s heart exploded again and again, like fireworks. His anxiety quickly changed into something like adrenaline and he flexed and and curled his fingers again and again before a stupid smile took over half his face until his cheeks ached. The words Yuuri spoke replayed in his head again and again as he tried to focus on breathing, tried to focus on looking normal but it was just so hard! 

  


“Really? That’s great!”  


“I… I’m off tomorrow and Wednesday if either of those days work for you?” he asked hesitantly, his own smile building.

“I have an off day tomorrow as well! Would you like to come over for dinner? Or we could go out, if you’d prefer.”

“Having dinner at your place is fine, if that’s alright with you.”

“Of course! You can meet Makkachin, too!”

“Makka-who?”

“Makkachin, my poodle! He’s quite a bit bigger than your dog.”

“Oh! Okay! I love dogs!”

“Excellent,” Victor beamed, running a hand through his locks again. “I’ll text you my address later tonight?”

“Sounds good.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Yuuri!”

“What? No flowers?”

“I got something much better.” 

  


***

  


Victor was pacing around his apartment like a madman, checking every visible surface to make sure it was clean or aesthetically pleasing. The flowers had all remained, a beautiful air freshener, his latest bouquet the centerpiece on the dining room table. Formal plates, napkins and silverware were all placed accordingly, their six cheese lasagna waiting in the heated oven, a few bottles of various wines chilling in the wine cooler. He stopped before the floor length mirror in the entrance hall, tugging at the rolled sleeves of his dress shirt, examining his ironed slacks, checking his hair and brushing some stray hairs aside before he jumped at the sound of the doorbell. 

  


“It’s time, Makka!” he hissed, ruffling the dog’s ears before opening the door open with a bright smile on his face. 

  


Yuuri looked incredible, taking Victor’s breath away. His navy sweater clung to his shoulders and fit his figure snugly, his dark pants perfectly fitted, the pieces of hair usually in his face gelled back nicely. His eyes were twinkling behind his glasses, a smile on his face and a bouquet of flowers in his hand. Victor recognized them as catmint, the same bouquet he had on his bathroom counter. 

  


“Hello, Yuuri! Oh, thank you so much! This is very sweet of you!” 

  


But Yuuri wasn’t paying any attention, Victor noticed, as he stepped fully into the apartment, shutting the door softly behind him. His eyes were wide as he examined Victor’s residence, gaze falling on each bouquet that was there. Victor watched as his mouth cutely opened and shut numerous times before Yuuri met his gaze. 

  


“Wow,” was all he had to say.

“You should see the rest of the place,” Victor laughed before, with a sweeping arm, guiding him to the dining room table.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this lil one shot! It ended up being waaay longer than I anticipated but I live for gay, nervous Victor and smol bean Yuuri?
> 
> Also, I hate formatting.


End file.
